On his 44th birthday, Kanye West is the one giving the apparel world a present. And if Gap’s investors are lucky, they will perhaps get one at a later date from Yeezy.
With questions swirling on Wall Street around the timing of the hotly anticipated clothing line at the Gap (GPS) from West (details have been scant), the retailer released its product from the partnership on Tuesday. Dubbed the “round jacket,” it’s essentially a trendy looking $200 puffer coat. It’s available for pre-order to U.S. shoppers only, with shipping expected to be this fall.
No other item release dates were shared as the duo tries to build hype for a broader launch in coming months.
Gap CEO Sonia Syngal stunned just about everyone on June 26, 2020 when she announced a 10-year apparel deal with West. Shares of Gap surged 42% on the news as investors bought into the idea that West — whose Yeezy line of sneakers essentially saved Adidas —would inject badly needed life into a dying mall apparel brand. The line is expected to include hoodies, basics, T-shirts and joggers, but not much has been shared by Syngal or Gap management publicly.
Given the uncertainty on the launch, Gap’s stock has been relatively unchanged since mid-March.
To be sure, West has done his part to drive excitement over the tie-up.
First, he declared he was running for president in 2020. Then, he said he would no longer run for president. He then engaged in a Twitter war about his well-being with wife Kim Kardashian and mother-in-law Kris Jenner.
More recently, the two announced they would be getting a divorce.
The Yeezy line comes as Gap is trying to turn the corner after years of struggles.
To that end, Gap showed some progress in its latest earnings results. First quarter comparable-store sales at Old Navy and Athleta rose 35% and 27%, respectively, amid easy comparisons to stores being closed a year ago during the coronavirus outbreak. Same-store sales at Gap rose 29%, and fell 4% at Banana Republic.
Brian Sozzi is an editor-at-large and anchor at Yahoo Finance. Follow Sozzi on Twitter @BrianSozzi and on LinkedIn.
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